


Guess What I Got When I Entered the Elevator?

by Pendragons Dragonlord (PseudoAuthor)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community: kinkme_merlin, Humor, M/M, Multi, My First AO3 Post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-24
Packaged: 2018-01-16 11:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1345594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoAuthor/pseuds/Pendragons%20Dragonlord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Morgana has to give birth in a hospital elevator, Arthur gets an adorable little niece and quite possibly something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guess What I Got When I Entered the Elevator?

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know really know much about being pregnant...or giving birth because I have gone through neither experience - so I'm sorry if I've gotten it all wrong. I actually wrote this a week ago but just posting now. It's unbeta'd for now, so all mistakes are mine.

The next guy – Cedric, is waiting outside Arthur’s office, all greasy haired and odd moustached, hands clutched tight around his briefcase. Arthur doesn’t understand why the company doesn’t just hire a panel to go through prospective employees. It would be much faster and he wouldn’t have to listen to snivelling idiots trying to get into his figurative, and let’s be honest here, sometimes his literal pair of pants.

Just as he’s imagining lighting one end of Cedric’s considerably odd moustache with a match provided that he does actually hire him – maybe he could make it a condition of Cedric’s employment? Maybe something along the lines of: _This contract hereby stipulates that the employer, Arthur Pendragon of Camelot Enterprises, can set alight the moustache of his employee, Cedric…[inset whatever the hell his last name is here] at least once during his tenure as assistant to the aforementioned employer, Arthur Pendragon_ – there is a squeak from his secretary Freya. His very pregnant secretary Freya.

“Arthur!” she is still on the phone, eyes wide and panicked, chair swivelled in his direction. “Labour!”

This is one of the view times he’ll ever admit to loving that his office is all glass. He can see the pale faces of those still waiting for their interview as they watch the pregnant screaming woman. Cedric is still sitting in the chair closest to Arthur’s office, the rest of the applicants having bolted towards the door, stampeding like elephants leaving Cedric alone, white-knuckled and knees quivering. Arthur watches him open his mouth before it snaps shut and he runs too.

“Arthur!”

_Right Freya, labour…oh Christ, she said labour._

Stumbling out of his seat he rushes to her side, phone already out to call the ambulance because there is no way that he’s delivering a baby on the floor of this building. “Freya, are you okay?”

Freya just stares at him crouching down on his knees in front of her, before speaking into the phone, “Shh, he’s on his way okay? I promise I need you to hold on.”

_Huh?_

“Arthur, call an ambulance.”

“But…” He hasn’t seen a lot of pregnant women in his life and he’s not a big fan of babies or the whole…birthing process, but he thought that there would be a lot more screaming and moaning, and Freya’s face going red, and lots of heavy breathing with doubling over. “You don’t look like you’re going into labour.”

Freya sends him a look that’s all, _‘Aw you’re such an adorable dummy.’_ “Your sister is in labour.”

Arthur laughs because Morgana’s pulled this stunt before. Just last week she called his mobile whilst he was in the middle of meeting screaming that she was having the baby. He had left the meeting without stopping to apologise and drove like a madman all the way to her house only to find her tucked up in bed grinning up at him and demanding hokey-pokey flavoured ice-cream.

Did he mention that her husband Leon was just outside in the backyard?

Freya looks unamused taking his mobile and pressing her phone up to his ear.

“What is it this time? Want fluffy socks? How about pizzas, oh, I know, you want me to change the channel on your television?”

There’s silence on her end followed by a little hitch as if she’s been crying. “Arthur?” her voice is small, unlike the times when she was loud and amused, this time it’s tinged with fear, “Please, can you come home?”

 _No joking then_. Immediately he stands up looking at Freya who holds his keys in her hand. “I’ll be there in a few minutes…I promise.” Arthur hands to phone to Freya, grabbing his keys and sprinting to the elevator only to curse when he sees the amount of people waiting to get on. He eyes the door leading to the fire exit and decides to take it praying that he beats the elevator when he gets to the ground floor.

He jumps down the stairs, slightly breathless when he finally pushes his way to the foyer of the building and through the revolving doors. Not five minutes after he takes off in his car, the elevator doors open to the ground floor with people streaming out, none aware that their boss has just left the premises.

...

“My god,” Arthur hears the whimper before he sees Morgana hunched over the end of the bed, palms bunching the bed sheet into crumples that poke out between her knuckles.

“Morgana.” He feels stupid for hovering through the door but figures that it’s better to be cautious than barging in like a bull in a china shop. “Can I come in?”

Wet eyes turn in his direction. “Is an ambulance coming?”

Arthur moves in and rubs her back not knowing the proper action to take when ones sister goes into labour in the middle of the day. “Freya called them but I don’t know how long it’ll take. Where’s Leon?”

Her shoulder tense at the mention of her husband and Arthur tries to bite back the questions that are dancing at the tip of his tongue. She breathes in deeply through her nose before groaning, “Screw the ambulance. Take me to the hospital.”

“What? No! I’m sure they will be here any second!” He’s read about people having to deliver babies on the side of the road and he has no desire to join them. He dials for the ambulance again only to find that there will be a wait or some unspecified amount of time owing to an unfortunate multi vehicular accident.

As he relays this Morgana her grip around his hands gets tighter and her eyes grow from moist and scared to downright angry. “Arthur Pendragon, you are going to grab my bag and drive me to the hospital end of discussion.”

When he opens his mouth Morgana cuts him a glare. Like she asked, he grabs her oversized bag and leads her to his car.

Once she’s in and settled he gets in and floors it to the hospital.

Morgana is breathing heavily next to him trying to curb her groans in the palm of her hand.

“You can scream if you want.”

“Yes thank you for giving me permission to scream whilst my body is trying to push another person out of it. How considerate of you.”

Arthur resolves to keep silent until he’s required.

They both let out a collective sigh as Arthur pulls up to the entryway of the hospital and runs out to open the door to Morgana’s side.

“I’m going to get you inside and then I’m going to move the car.”

“You are joking.”

“I can’t leave my car blocking the entrance to the hospital. I’m not a total bastard.”

“Just get me inside.”

With an arm around Morgana’s waist they move to the counter where a nurse has a phone receiver pressed to her ear. The wait for a minute patiently until they hear: “…so what did you do next? You know when my boyfriend tried that…”

“Excuse me…miss…miss?” The nurse sticks up a finger in the universal sign of ‘wait one minute’. Arthur directs his exhale of hair up to the strands of hair falling into his eyes and bangs the glass with his fist. “Hello, my sister is having a baby right now so if you would be so kind as to end your phone call to your friend _you_ will be very grateful as I won’t have to sue you for malpractice.”

Morgana manages to pat his chest in thanks as the nurse sends Arthur an indignant look and pushes a wheelchair through the doors in Morgana’s direction.

The doors open again. “Arthur, are you scaring my nurses?”

Relief floods him when he looks up to see Gwen in her purple scrubs. “Oh Gwen thank god.”

“Hello love-“Gwen starts, stopping immediately as Arthur interjects about having to move his car.

Morgana tells him to hurry up.

When he gets back, car safely secured in the car park and still cursing pregnancy and everything that it entails – he can barely look at the passenger seat without wanting to vomit because there are… _fluids_ …still wet and shiny against the black leather seat – he sees Morgana still waiting, only she’s by herself, arm clutching her belly, Gwen nowhere in sight.

“Where did Gwen go?”

Morgana slams a clipboard into his upper thigh just missing his important bits.

“Emergency. Fill this out and then maternity ward.”

Arthur takes the clipboard filling in Morgana’s details until his eyes stop on the emergency contact. He fills In Leon’s details and asks: “Hey Morgana, where’s Leon?”

“That son of a bitch?” He notes that Morgana is breathing a little faster. She leans up hauling him down to meet her eyes by the strip that is his very expensive tie and slightly tightening it in the process. “You’re best friend left me to go to work on some stupid project.”

He blames his next remark on the fact that his brain is slowly losing oxygen. “It’s a necessary project.” Morgana wraps the tie around her hand and pulls tighter. “He had to go,” he wheezes.

“I’m pregnant, he had to stay.”

With a final swipe to free his tie from her grasp, Arthur straightens, rubbing his neck and takes a step out of her vicinity. “I didn’t know you would be going into labour today!”

“My baby doesn’t keep to a schedule!”

Arthur quickly returns the paper work to the nurse who glares at him threateningly. “You aren’t being sued. Smile,” he says turning back to Morgana. “Alright. Let’s get you to maternity.”

He pushes her towards the elevator, pressing number nine on the panel.

Morgana is breathing deeper. “Morgana, how far apart are your contractions?”

“I don’t know, maybe every ten minutes.”

“Do you want me to try calling him?”

“I tried, his phone is probably off,” her voice is low and threatening, promising pain if that isn’t the case. Arthur really hopes that Leon’s phone is off.

The elevator stops at the second level.

There’s a demand for a blanket which has Arthur duck his head into the depths of Morgana’s oversized bag, hand navigating through clothes, baby booties and pregnancy books. He doesn’t look up, a hand moving to the wheelchair handle to move it back a little further in case there is a mass of people trying to get out. When he finds the edge of the blanket it is then a struggle to pull it out as it seems to catch on everything else as it tries to defy its escape out of the bag.

By the time Arthur manages to get it out, Morgana is already making fast friends with whoever else is in the elevator. He drops the bag to his side and throws the blanket over Morgana’s lap.

He wishes he had looked up sooner.

The guy is tall and lanky, but not the type of lanky that is skin and bones, it’s the type with muscle…just sort of lean or at least that’s what Arthur’s going to assume because he’s in the most hideous pair of blue scrubs that somehow manage to not look hideous on him and he’s got ruffle-able raven hair – wait, Arthur blinks, did he just make up a word to describe someone’s hair?

His heart plummets to his shoes, he’s gone and fallen for a nurse…already…after ten seconds without even a trade of words. _Christ Pendragon, you are pathetic_ , he thinks to himself.

…

Merlin had wanted to be a nurse ever since he could remember. At least that’s what he tells people which always lead them to either coo or call him a wimp. He never wanted to be a doctor because it seemed a little too clinical and detached. Sure, on most days he ends up being drenched in more human fluid and waste then a normal person ever should be, and if his feet aren’t sore and red by the end of a shift then he counts himself as lucky as a lottery winner, but it’s good, and even better, he’s good.

That sounds like he’s bragging and okay, in a small way maybe he is.

Gwen was meant to finish by now, but he got a message asking him to meet her on the seventh floor. They’ve been pulling overtime and it sucks so now he just wants to go home and fall into bed, his grimy scrubs be damned.

When the elevator doors open he sees a guy in a suit with his head stuck in a bag and a heavily pregnant brunette trying to keep here breathing steady.

“How are you going?” Merlin asks quietly.

He receives a sarcastic, “Fantastic.”

And because he can’t help himself, he follows with, “Boy or girl.”

At least this question manages to bring a smile to the woman’s face. She rubs her tummy lovely, albeit with a strained smile and tells him it’s a girl.

He’s about to offer congratulations when the man finally pulls his head out of the bag triumphantly clutching a blanket in his hand before spreading it out on his wife’s lap. The man straightens and…and…uh…

Merlin’s brain short circuits.

The man is a little shorter than him, maybe a centimetre or so, in the end who the fuck cares because he looks like a god and what Merlin wouldn’t do to worship that body that’s hidden beneath the dark grey suit.

Merlin’s never been more grateful for the fact that his scrubs are a size larger then he wanted.

He darts his eyes back to the man, who seems to be staring right at him and…

Merlin shakes his head quickly breaking eye contact.

 _Oh Merlin,_ Gwen’s gentle voice is clear in his head. _Trust you to fall for someone who is already taken._

 _There’s no harm in looking_ , his mind snaps back.

Gwen’s voice lets out a laugh, _Fine, look but don’t touch, love._ When he meets Gwen, he’s going to have words with her about her invading his mind.

The woman huffs, a hand moving to brush the hair out of her face. “First time?” Merlin asks staring down at her.

“Yes,” she says gritting her teeth.

...

“Well, at least one things for sure…” The nurse is smiling; teeth showing, blue eyes squinting as the corners wrinkle with a happy sort of exuberance and oh if that doesn’t have Arthur weak at the knees. “With your genes, she’s going to be gorgeous.”

“What? No!” Arthur blurts loudly before he can stop himself.

The nurse looks surprised.

Morgana looks like she’s going to kill him. Maybe he shouldn’t have shouted ‘no’ just after the guy said that his niece is going to be gorgeous.

“I mean…” They’re both staring at him. “I’m her brother. Her husband is away on business.” Arthur counts three fingers broken in Morgana’s latest squeeze. He takes it as a sign that he should probably stop mentioning that.

“That’s-“ the nurse’s reply is cut off as the light flicker and the elevator precariously seems to bob up and down once like it’s on a bungee cord which it kind of is if you think about it and could probably snap and send them all to their de-

_Shut up brain, please shut up._

The elevator stills and the lights stop flickering. Arthur can’t feel his hand anymore. “Morgana, are you hurt?”

Her breathing is fast and shallow. “I can’t have her now.”

“Morgana?”

“Arthur, I can’t have her in a fucking elevator!”

“Hey, hey, hey. Shhh.” He crouches down in front of her. “You are not having her in here, we will get you out of here okay, we just need to hold on for a little longer and then sort this whole mess out.”

“We aren’t getting out of here.”

Morgana’s terrified eyes swivel away from his. Her face goes red. “What?!”

 _No. Calm, I wanted you calm_. He looks at the nurse, trying to get across a look of betrayal. _I had her calm and you screwed it up…and now my right hand is completely ruined and soon enough my left will be the same._

“Apparently we’re stuck between floors. Thankfully seems like none of the surgery patients were being transferred in this wing of the hospital. Not sure what’s wrong with the elevator but they’ll try to have someone out as soon as possible.”

“But she’s going to have a baby!”

“Yes it seems like she is.” The nurse pushes his sleeves up to his elbows and takes the blanket from Morgana’s lap to spread it out on the floor under their feet. “Are their anymore of these? Or a jacket I can use as a pillow for her?”

Arthur quickly searches the bag finding a bathrobe.

The nurse’s phone rings and he puts in on speakerphone. _“Where the hell are you?”_

“In one of the elevators.”

_“Oh jeez. Alright I’ll see what-“_

“Gwen, there’s a lady here about to give birth, I need you to stay with me and have a room organised for me.”

Arthur yells, needing her to know that they aren’t Gwen’s usual patients but her friends. “Gwen!”

_“Arthur! Oh my god, Morgana!”_

Morgan sighs relieved at hearing Gwen’s friendly voice “Gwen, you’re hospital sucks!”

“Okay Morgana I need you to get down on the floor for me. I know it’s not comfortable but I need to check how far along you are.”

Gingerly, Morgana rises with Arthur’s help and gets to the floor.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

The nurse throws him his hospital I.D. _Merlin Emrys, Nurse_. Merlin? Really? Somewhere in the cosmos there’s someone laughing their arse off.

…

“Hello, I’m Merlin and I’m about to deliver your baby.” He thought it was only polite to exchange names if he’s going to have his hands between her legs.

Having just heard their names, he’s not expecting Arthur to talk but for once in his life, Merlin is glad that his ears are the way that they are. “Well, I’m Arthur, she’s Morgana,” Arthur says nervously adding, “Leon’s the husband.”

“My very very dead husband.”

Head pillowed against Arthur’s chest, Morgana closes her eyes. “Morgana I’m going to have to examine you.”

Arthur’s face turns red. “Thank god for small mercies,” he mutters as Merlin moves Morgana’s nightgown up so the bunched up material is resting on her knees.

This way, Arthur’s eyes are saved.

Merlin checks Morgana, gently feeling around. “Another ten minutes and you’re ready to push.” As he removes his fingers he winces seeing them covered in blood. He makes a note to carry a spare pair of gloves in his pocket in case he ever has to deliver a baby in an elevator again. Always be prepared – like a boy scout.

Arthur’s face is pale. “Push?” The blonde asks dumbly. “Push?! Morgana, I don’t want to see this!” 

Morgana tilts her head back so that she practically looks up Arthur’s nostrils. “Well you wouldn’t have to if you didn’t send Leon the fuck away!”

_“Merlin is their blood?”_

“No more than the usual Gwen. Why? Do we have a fainter on our hands?” He can hardly imagine Morgana being afraid of blood.

_“Arthur sweetheart, how are you doing?”_

_Did not see that one coming,_ Merlin thinks.

“Gwen, unless Arthur is shoving a brick through his dick then you don’t get to ask him questions like that!”

_“’No uterus no opinion?’ Right Morgana?”_

Merlin grins. He loves _Friends._

“Damn fucking straight,” her sentence trails off into a scream. Arthur jumps.

“Morgana I’m going to check you again.” He isn’t religious, but sends a prayer upwards regardless when he sees that she’s fully dilated. “You’re all ready to push.”

“No, you aren’t!”

“What did Gwen say about opinions Arthur? Do you want to deliver like this? You can change at any time just let me know.” Morgana shakes her head. “I want you to push a couple of times; we’re just testing the waters.”

She lets out a grunt, followed by a wail and a scream with the words, “Arthur you’re an arsehole. Leon I’m cutting your dick off. All men should be castrated,” interspersed between her pants as she tries to catch her breath.

“I can see the top of her head.”

At this moment Arthur’s phone decides to ring.

“Isn’t that the _Kim Possible_ theme tune?”

 _“It is.”_ Gwen confirms. _“Arthur gets kick out of it because it makes him feel like a secret agent.”_

“I do not!” The blond protests, his eyes beseeching Merlin to believe him, “I don’t.”

Morgana pants. “I ban you from answering that phone.”

Arthur looks at the phone, face paling. Merlin wonders what’s going on because that is not a good sign. “But it’s Leon.”

“What are you waiting for? Answer it and tell the fucker to get his scrawny unstretchmarked arse over here!”

…

_“Is she really having the baby?”_

“Yeah mate, she’s about to pop like a cork in a champagne bottle.”

_“I can’t believe I’m going to miss it – I knew I should’ve picked up the phone.”_

“Oh you poor bastard.” _RIP Leon it was nice knowing you._

_“Arthur, before she kills me, I need you to do me a favour.”_

“Sure anything.”

_“Be my eyes. Tell me what you see.”_

“Uh…” There is no way, absolutely not. No-

_“Please.”_

Wordlessly the phone is passed from brother to sister.

“You are a bastard Knight. An absolute bastard, and after I get this baby out of me I want a divorce. But I want that after I cut your balls off and squeeze the sperm out of them right before your eyes. Are you hearing me?!” There’s silence and then Morgana explodes. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Fuck the divorce, when you get here I’m castrating you with a scalpel!”

There’s more silence and then Morgana sits up suddenly pushing Arthur out from under her.

“Get down there and report.”

“Morgana…” He can't stop the 'little brother' whine that seeps into his voice. 

“Take responsibility for your actions. Get your butt down there and tell Leon what he’s missing out on.”

 _“Morgana I don’t think that’s a good idea.”_ Gwen sounds worried. It’s nice to know that someone cares about him.

“We’re rich enough to pay for his therapist, don’t worry about it.”

Arthur puts the folded up bathrobe under Morgana’s shoulder and crawls across the elevator until he reaches Morgana’s bent knees. “I hate you so much. I’m going to kill you Leon.”

Leon replies sadly, _“Get in line.”_

A shudder runs through his body as he remembers the videos in sex-ed class. Violent, bloody horrible videos. Another shudder runs through him and he tries not to vomit.

 _“So what are you seeing?”_ Leon asks him sounding curious.

“Nothing.”

_“How come?”_

“Because I don’t want to move into the no-go zone! And Leon, I’m telling you, as her brother, this area is meant to be off limits to me. I’m talking big red letters on a big sign, with flashing lights, a siren and someone on a bullhorn saying ‘Arthur Pendragon, back away from this area if you value your sanity’. And guess what Leon, unlike you who has no regard for their mental wellbeing having married Morgana, I happen to value my sanity!”

Leon doesn’t sound like he appreciates Arthur’s unease. _“Man up and tell me if my daughter is coming. It’s your fault we’re in this mess in the first place.”_

No amount of therapy can save him as he shuffles on his knees until he’s sitting next to Merlin with a hand still over his eyes. The other is clutching the phone where Leon is doing a piss poor job of distracting him from the torment that awaits. When he looks, his eyes are going to be black and charred like over barbequed meat - he just knows it.

Slowly he spreads…

_Nope no ‘spread’, no ‘spreading’…this is how we got into this mess in the first place._

...he opens…

_God, Arthur, get a grip, stop with words and just look…_

…his fingers move allowing him a thin slit in which to see…

“Jesus Christ, that is disgusting! How the fuck are you doing that?!” His hand has completely dropped down hovering over his mouth in horror.

“Arthur what’s wrong?!” Leon sounds stricken, worry clear in his tone.

The baby’s head surges out in one sickening wave before seemingly disappearing back inside Morgana’s body. “It’s like a scene from _Alien_.”

The phone slips from his hand and Merlin turns to look at him. “Arthur, pick up the damn phone and press it to my ear.” A bloody hand hits his chest, his white shirt now covered in blood and goo. “Arthur. Phone.”

“Arthur you wanker, did you just compare my little girl to an alien?” Morgana grits out.

“Hello, Leon? I’m Merlin, I’m helping with delivery. Morgana and the baby’s doing fine. Arthur is just having a minor freak out. How far out are you…okay, that’s not ideal…yes, don’t worry, I promise that they are in good hands. Morgana. Push.”

“I want an epidural!” she screams.

“Again!”

“I want an epidural!”

“Oh my god there’s a head.” Arthur squints only to catch soft features of eyes and a tiny little button nose. “There’s a face.”

Merlin coughs from behind him…behind him? Arthur blinks and realises that he’s scooted closer to Morgana’s place that can’t be named and therefore is making it difficult for Merlin to do anything more than support the baby’s head.

“Leon?” He moves back, grabbing the phone from between Merlin’s ear and shoulder. “She’s got a face.”

_“I’d hope so.”_

“It’s red and squishy looking. And she’s covered is stuff that I don’t even want to think about. I can’t believe you’re missing out on this.”

“Morgana. How are you going?”

“She doesn’t want to come out!”

Merlin laughs quietly. “Trust me, she does. We just have to help her.”

 _“You’re doing wonderful love.”_ Gwen’s tinny voice floats in from near Merlin’s side.

“Gwen, if Lance tries to get you pregnant, run! Or wear two condoms for all I care, just don’t let those slippery bastards swim upstream!” Morgana pushes again, enabling the shoulders to come out.

“I’m done! No more, please…I’m done.”

“Arthur.” Merlin tilts his head in her direction.

Quickly he moves up to Morgana’s side and scoots himself under so that she’s lying in the ‘V’ of his legs. He puts the Leon on speaker and settles the phone next to him. “One more push Morgana.” He looks at Merlin for confirmation because he wants this to be over and he doesn’t want to get her hopes up. Morgana is drenched in sweat, tears trailing down her cheeks, face red and eyes tired and defeated.

Morgana should never look like that.

“I reckon one big push and you’ll have a little girl to hold.” Merlin confirms.

“Hear that. One big one and you’re done. I’m so proud of you for doing this. Come on. I’m right here with you and you can break my fingers for all I care. If it helps you out, then you can kneecap me too.“ He should probably rescind the offer of kneecapping, knowing her she’d probably take it.

Morgana lets out a weak little huff of a laugh. “Last one.”

_“Baby, I’m so proud of you.”_

“Shut up Leon.”

“Ready? Alright, push Morgana c’mon!”

Morgana screams like she’s a wild animal…no, like a mother protecting her child. Her knuckles are white clenching over Arthur’s hands – her breath escaping loudly through gritted teeth.

Suddenly she deflates against his chest and he panics thinking that something has gone horribly wrong. “Morgana!”

His hand is squeezed weakly. “She’s here Arthur. She’s finally here.”

Arthur kisses her head. “You were fucking brilliant,” he says quietly into her ear, to Leon he raises his voice,

_“Congratulations Leon, you’re a father.”_

He looks down to where Merlin is clearing the baby as best he can with his fingers.

Finally there’s a wail. “And of course she sounds like you already.”

Merlin smiles baby near his chest, looking flushed and excited like he’s had too much sugar. He wonders if that’s what he’ll look like when they have kids… _oh you’ve gone and done it now, Arthur, get a grip._

“Arthur, give me your jacket.”

“It’s Armani. Don’t hurt it.”

Merlin just glares at him so obediently he removes it. The last thing he wants if for Merlin to wipe his slimy hands on him in retaliation even though he’s already done that. Well, he’d like Merlin’s hands on him, just not in this context.

The jacket dies a bloody death.

“Here we are,” Merlin coos at the jacket, the top of his niece’s head just visible over the lip of its temporary new home. The bundle is passed to Morgana. Arthur looks down, seeing the pink baby, who, if he’s being honest, looks more awesome in the jacket than he could ever be.

“Hello baby girl. Welcome to the world,” Morgana sniffles.

“Gwen, we have a healthy baby – thanks for sticking with me. How’s the elevator situation going?”

_“Ten minutes tops. I’ve got a lovely room waiting too.”_

There’s a nudge to his stomach that dislodges the finger that’s trailing down his niece’s face. Her skin is so soft; he’s not even thinking about the fact that she’s covered in fluid from a certain area of her sister’s body. “Do you want to hold her?”

“I think Leon should be the next one don’t you?”

Merlin grins at him as if he’s hung the moon.

…

After getting cleaned up, Merlin goes hunting for a pair of scrubs for Arthur to wear. Apart from the panicking, Arthur did quite well. Having found a pair, green ones, he travels to Morgana’s room. Leon finally made it having battled traffic, a flat tired and a very angry old-lady pedestrian who had decided to stop in the middle of a pedestrian crossing for no reason at all. They’re tucked up in bed together, the baby, still unnamed, balancing between them on their knees. There’s another man there – he assumes its Arthur’s father, who is shouting down the phone, with words like ‘sue’ and ‘liability’ and ‘neglectful’ thrown into the conversation over and over again. He scans the room but can’t see Arthur.

Gwen is sitting in the chair next to the bed. “Merlin you were great today.”

“Thanks Gwen.” He bumps her shoulder with his fist and wiggles his eyebrows. “So, you gonna let Lance near you tonight?”

“You know, when I was listening to Morgana in the elevator, I was considering having a meter wide bubble constructed around me – a bit like the bubble boy.” Her eyes grow soft looking at the trio nestled together. “But, then when I look at that…” her voice grows soft and her smile goes wobbly. She brushes a tear away, eyes wistful. Seeing the scrubs she directs him to the bathroom just outside.

He doesn’t knock; the shower is on, Arthur singing slightly off-key under the spray.

Merlin spies the dirty suit on the lid of the toilet; Arthur’s mobile resting on top of the pile.

He bites his lip in indecision.

 _What’s the worst that can happen?_ Gwen voice is pleasant and makes the decision for him.

The singing stops, water shutting off.

“Arthur?”

A curse is followed by a bang and another curse.

Having Arthur hurt was certainly not his intention. “Shit, are you okay?”

Arthur’s voice is slightly strained. “What? I’m fine, just banged my elbow. What are you doing here?”

“I’ve brought you a pair of scrubs. Sorry for destroying your suit.”

A towel disappears over the shower rail. “Don’t worry about it. It was for a good cause – I can’t begrudge it…are you going to stand outside the whole time?”

…

Arthur stops patting his face, brain stuttering as he replays what he just said out loud. _Shit, was that too suggestive?_

“Mind passing them over?” he tries again.

Pants first, followed by the shirt. He dresses quickly. Fully clothed, he steps out from behind the screen.

“So…” he begins. The sentence never finishes because suddenly Merlin isn’t a few steps away from him. Instead, the nurse is close against him, chapped lips pressing against his own. It’s fast, chaste, sweet, and he wants so much more but before he can even angle Merlin the right way to deepen it, Merlin pulls back.

There’s a red tinge to the brunette’s cheeks. “I have to go and get Morgana’s paperwork fixed up.”

He feels like deflating. “Oh, right…okay.”

“My number is in your phone. I’ll meet you here Friday at seven after I finish my shift, then we can get dinner…that’s okay right?” Merlin pulls back further as if he’s trying to escape – he’s probably realising that Arthur could very well take the out offered to him and never see him again.

 _Not a chance in hell._ Arthur quickly tugs him in close, brushing Merlin’s nose with his own, inhaling hospital disinfectant and a faint trace of vanilla. “Seven’s fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this prompt on kinkme_Merlin #36:
> 
> Arthur doesn't know how he got stuck rushing his very pregnant, very much in labor sister to the emergency room, but he's here now, and despite being in the elevator next to his sister's wheelchair, with said sibling crushing every bone in his hand, cursing the existence of her husband Leon, he can't seem to focus on anything but the tall lanky male nurse that is currently standing with them. He has a shock of black hair, mesmerizing blue eyes, and lips that just scream 'kiss me', how anyone can be so sexy in hospital scrubs is beyond him.
> 
> Unfortunately, the universe is cruel, and suddenly the elevator stalls. When it becomes apparent that the baby is going to have to be delivered in the elevator, Merlin who has been trying not to oogle the roman godlike Adonis beside him, is faced with trying to calm a very scary pregnant woman who is demanding drugs, and threatening to castrate a man named Leon, and to also prepare her brother who has suddenly gone very pale, and appears stricken, with the unfortunate task of assisting him with the delivery.
> 
> In the end, Arthur overcomes his strong aversion to blood (without passing out), see's more of his sister than he has ever desired (therapy may be required), there's a beautiful baby girl wrapped up in his favorite Armani jacket (which he is surprisingly ok with), and a very handsome man is grinning at him like a loon (which has him thinking very inappropriate thoughts)
> 
> Much later, Morgana is settled in a private room, Leon is doting on his wife and cooing over his new bundle of joy, and Uther is ranting and raving at the hospital director. At the same time, Arthur finds himself freshly showered, his cell phone in possession of a new number, Friday at 7pm marked in his date book, and his lips are still burning from a stolen kiss taken in the loo. So I guess that maybe the universe isn't so cruel after all :D
> 
> \---
> 
> Just, thank you for reading - and to the anon who wrote the prompt, I hope this was okay :)


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